Winter 2017-18, volume XXI, issue 4 VETERANS FOR PEACE NEWS MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL VETERANS FOR PEACE, CHAPTER 27 Veterans For Peace News is published quar- Tear down walls, terly by Mpls./St. Paul Veterans For Peace, build up people Chapter 27. by Mary McNellis Veterans For Peace works to increase awareness of the costs his past Armistice Day, of war, restrain our TVeterans for Peace led a government from intervening in the bi-national march on both internal affairs of other sides of the Arizona/Mexican nations, end the arms border at Nogales to shine a race, reduce and even- tually eliminate nuclear light on our new administra- weapons, seek justice tion’s highly politicized “build for veterans and victims of war, and abolish war the wall” and the humanitarian as an instrument of abuses of the U.S. Border national policy. Patrol. Scores of people gath- We pledge to use ered in front of adjacent democratic and non- stages, separated by a 30-foot violent means to fence that “protects” and sepa- achieve our purpose. rates the U.S. from Mexico, to protest a wasteful and inhu- To subscribe to this newsletter, mane policy. please call: It was a weekend filled 612-821-9141 with actions, sponsored by the Or write: School of America Watch Veterans For Peace Ch. 27 (SOAW), founded in 1990 by Father Roy tics resulting in torture, assassinations, kid- 4200 Cedar Ave, S. #7 Bourgeois. This was in response to the Nov. nappings and repression. Labor leaders, union Minneapolis, MN 55407 16, 1989, El Salvador massacre in which six organizers and environmentalists have always Or e-mail: Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her been among the primary targets of SOA vio- [email protected] teenage daughter were murdered. A U.S. lence. Many Americans remain unaware that Congressional Task Force reported that those their tax dollars are still funding SOA, under Our website is: responsible were trained in Ft. Benning, GA, the guise of “defending our national interests.” www.vfpchapter27.org. at the notorious U.S. Army School of the Since 1990, SOA Watch continues to say Newsletter committee: Americas (SOA) or, as some people have “BASTA! NOT IN OUR NAME!” Frank Fuller, editor; dubbed it, “School of Assassins.” In an effort For 25 years, members of our local VFP Pat Downey, Jennie Downey, Jean Heberle, to disassociate the school with its horrific past, attended every annual SOAW rally held at the Joan Johnson, Mike in January 2001 the SOA was renamed the front gate of Fort Benning, GA, to expose, Madden, Steve denounce, and call for an end to U.S. state- McKeown, Mary Western Hemisphere Institute for Security McNellis, Barry Riesch. Cooperation (WHINSEC). sponsored terrorism and oppressive U.S. poli- Craig Wood From its inception, the mission of this cies subverting self-determination and desta- “There won’t be any U.S. hosted and taxpayer-funded institute has bilization of democratically-elected govern- trumpets blowing come been to train military personnel to protect the ments. the Judgement Day — interests of multinational corporations and Last year, SOAW moved the annual event, on the bloody morning after, one tin soldier maintain the economic status quo for the few now called Encuentro at the Border, to the rides away...” rich and powerful in the U.S. and their cohorts (Potter & Lambert) in Latin America, including military-style tac- Encuentro, Continued on page 3 PAGE 2 WINTER 2017-18 MPLS./ST. PAUL VETERANS FOR PEACE CHAPTER 27 Notes from the President by Dave Logsdon movement began at Ft. Snelling in the early 90s by a small group of thoughtful, committed VFP members, and now “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful VFP Chapters around the country are following suit! committed citizens can change the world; At 4 p.m. on the 11th, our chapter sponsored a docu- indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” mentary at St. Anthony Main called The World is my Margaret Mead Country by Arthur Kanegis. The film chronicles the amaz- ing life of Garry Davis, former Broadway performer who ur group of committed thoughtful citizens at Veterans served as a bombardier that bombed Brandenberg in World OFor Peace are doing our best to leverage our brand to War II. After seeing footage of the death and destruction that effect meaningful change right here in Minnesota. There is he was part of, he experienced a powerful change in his life. a lot of on-the-job training that goes into all this communi- The film goes on to follow Garry as he creates the World ty organizing stuff. With the right people and much imagi- Citizenship Movement using his imagination and perform- nation and networking, amazing things are possible; lives ing talent to thrust himself onto the world stage. Arthur are touched, and things can change for the better. We are Kanegis was here for the film and also attended our History always trying to recruit new members and it can be frustrat- Center event. There is some wonderful vintage footage of ing trying to get people involved. the Kellogg-Briand signing and other historical events. We But in the past year we’ve had a small group of com- will screen this film again soon! mitted citizens joining our ranks. So many new people have The Sisters of St. Joseph finished this full day with an made important contributions to our many varied efforts this evening of singing and reflection at their residence on the year. Hopefully some of you reading this Newsletter will be campus of St Catherine’s University. Roy Wolff of Veterans inspired to join the struggle and, with the VFP National For Peace helped organize this event, with music by Joan Convention coming here in August, we’ll need all hands on Johnson and Bridget McDonald! deck! And…..on November 12th, Steve Mckeown drove to Fargo, North Dakota and spoke at Red River chapter mem- “The World is my Country, all humankind are ber Ron Saeger’s First Unitarian Church on the topic “What my brethren, to do good is my religion.” does the American soldier defend?” Steve also presented the Thomas Paine church with a Kellogg-Briand banner and was well received! On Armistice Day (Nov. 11th) we had a full day and then some! We were invited to the Minnesota History “Seek not to contest evil, lest ye be taken by the spirit of Center on the closing day of their wonderful WWI exhibit contention, rather concern yourself with goodness, for in to do our traditional bell ringing program. Steve McKeown, goodness is the leavening that makes the whole loaf rise.” John Varone, and I spoke about why we ring our bells to Leon Kenegis (Arthur Kanegis’ father) honor the sacredness of the original idea of Armistice Day. It was a day of peace and remembrance, not a day of flag When the National VFP Board came here to conduct waving and guns firing. Our bell ringers came up and talked their annual business meeting and to find out about our con- about the stories behind the bells they were ringing. Then vention plans, we had a meet and greet at our office (4200 we rang the bells 11 times at exactly 11 o’clock, 99 years Cedar). We had a nice evening of food, music and speakers. after silence fell on the killing fields of France. John Varone The next day one of the board members told me she felt that sang the Phil Ochs song “I Ain’t-A-Marching Anymore” to there was a lot of love between our members. Yes, we lovers end the program. here do quarrel at times, as lovers often do, but we do care At St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, Larry Johnson was deeply for one another. part of a morning program that concluded with Larry ring- This coming year come join us on the Peace Bus. After ing his bell at 11 a.m. At St. Albert’s. This bell ringing all, it’s a love thing! MPLS./ST. PAUL VETERANS FOR PEACE CHAPTER 27 WINTER 2017-18 PAGE 3 Encuentro, from page 1 U.S./Mexico border. It tarism, and economic was again held in exploitation. In our Nogales on both sides struggle as activists, of the wall in Arizona we have learned that and Sonora. It included where there is injus- vigils, concerts, work- tice, silence is com- shops and the VFP plicity. Today, the March to the Border, lives and future of so calling for an end to many of our Latin U.S. policies that are American sisters and the root causes of brothers are at stake, migration that have had including our 800,000 devastating effects on DACA recipients. asylum seekers and More than ever before, immigrants. SOAW and Presente at the stage. the voices, support VFP stand in solidarity and actions of every- with border communi- one in our SOA Watch ties denouncing racist, movement are needed. military, political and Let us build bridges, economic U.S. policies not walls! Hope not that create the condi- despair! Equality not tions responsible for the discrimination!” current refugee crisis. Many in the VFP SOAW founder organization were Father Roy Bourgeois unhappy that the states: “We’ve been at SOAW weekend fell this for 25 years before this year on coming to the border November 11, a day last year. We realized it many chapters histori- was time to continue to cally hold their own call for the closing of Father Roy Bourgeois speaking at Encuentro. Armistice celebra- the school but to make a tions.